Day 3 – Friday April 5th, 2024

L.M.S

Lead, Market, Sell

That’s my mantra as the LEADER of my companies.  

I have to LEAD my team.

I have to MARKET by brand.

I have to SELL my vision.

This is what I aim to do every day, let’s break it down piece by piece.

LEAD 

Leader =  someone who others will follow. 

Think about that statement and then think about your daily life.  Do you want your team to follow you?  Are you healthy in your mind, body and spirit?  Are you a person they should follow?  I had this exact question with myself December 25th 2023 as I looked in the mirror.  I was 20-25 pounds overweight.  Yes, to my team I was “in shape”, but I was not in shape to me.  And I certainly wasn’t leading.  A leader would be absolutely YOKED!  RIPPED.  IN OBVIOUS SHAPE!  Not, kind of in shape.  Or at least working their ass off to get there.

I always reasoned with myself that I was far enough ahead of most people as my reasoning for living my version of a “healthier” lifestyle.  On that day as I looked in the mirror and looked into my soul I told myself enough was enough.  I needed to start LEADING in a big way.  If soft drinks are bad for you, then why am I an occasional drinker of them vs never?  If donuts are bad for you, then why am I walking around with one?  

So on that day I decided I need to start LEADING when it comes to fitness and nutrition.  It’s been 3 months and 1 week.  I’ve not had a cookie, donut, cake, soft drink, etc.  I’ve cleaned up my eating.  One month into this change I cut out all energy drinks.  I want my team, my friends, my family to see that I am willing to make uncomfortable changes.  If I can’t and I continue to do what WE shouldn’t be doing, then how can I expect them to stop? 

On top of that, there are other areas I’m working on.  

Being a kind leader, a compassionate leader, being a leader that listens and isn’t afraid to be wrong.

Every day I’m asking myself, is the person I’m putting in front of myself someone I’d follow?  

MARKET

You’re not a restaurant owner.  

You’re a restaurant marketer! 

At the end of the day if NO ONE walks through your doors and hands you money, you’re out of business.   It doesn’t matter if you have the best food, service and location.  

If you don’t SELL FOOD, then you go out of business.

So that means you need to get off your ass and MARKET every waking minute you’re awake. 

The owner 100% must be marketing all day every day.  When I see you at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago you should be rocking your gear.  When I see you pull up to a pee wee football game you should be in a wrapped vehicle and rocking your gear.  

There’s not much more to say here.  Your job should revolve around marketing your restaurant every chance you get.

SELL

Every day sell your vision to your family, friends, employees, potentional employees, bankers, vendors and customers.  

GET THE PICTURE?  Every ONE!

You should be SELLING your vision every day.  Why can’t most restaurants find staff?  Because no one wants to work for just another restaurant.  Heck, growing up we were told “if you keep doing that you’ll end up flipping burgers.”  

If you want employees to be knocking down your door every day, build something special and they SELL YOUR VISION to them! 

 Scream from the mountain tops who you are, what you’re doing and WHY!

CLICK HERE and buy the book Vivid Vision.  It’s a short read and I can promise you, you won’t regret it.  

As the OWNER you need to paint a picture of your future that’s SO BIG it scares people.

It scares them because it’s so big and awesome.   The Starbucks we know today started with a VISION for 50 stores.  This was at a time where coffee shops that we know today did not exist, it wasn’t a market.  So 50 was, HOLY SHIT land.  Today they have over 38,000 worldwide.

Do you think their early investors and employees would have been stoke to work at a regular coffee shop?

You need to build a vision and sell it to everyone who will listen.  They need to know you’re not just another burger joint.  That you’re doing something special.  

Something they’ll want to be a part of.

…see you tomorrow. 

P.S. Make sure you read blog #1 in this series to understand the terrible art work and mission 🙂